McPherson Park Stream Enhancement

Project underway: the installation of geolifts, using layered soil slopes to stabilize the streambank, will reduce erosion.

Pre-project: decades of benign neglect of our natural assets led to stop-gap fixes to flooding and erosion issues.

Pre-project: with construction rubble lining the banks and no riparian buffer strip, erosion and invasive plants were abundant.

Pollutant-laden runoff makes its way directly into the stream from multiple pipes and paved surfaces.

This project will improve water quality through ecological restoration, bank stabilization, and green infrastructure installation.

Work is underway on a stream enhancement project in McPherson Park. While the park and most of its amenities, including the shelter, playground and bandstand will remain open to the public during the bulk of the construction, the miniature golf course will be out of service beginning this week. Additionally, the bridges will be closed and a portion of the parking lot near the stream will be used to stage equipment.

This stormwater project is part of the Richland Creek Water Quality Improvement Master Plan and is funded in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under a Section 319 grant through the S.C. Department of Health & Environmental Control. The project is designed to address water quality and will include work both in the stream and throughout the park. Water quality will be improved by removing rubble and debris from the stream, stabilizing the streambank to prevent erosion, placing structures in the stream to create pools and direct the flow of water and planting native vegetation along the streambank. To prepare the site, crews will first remove three trees that have been identified as potential safety issues due to their age and health. Additionally, the banks of the stream will be cleared of non-native and invasive plants.

The project scope also includes removing the concrete swale and pipes around the tennis courts and demolishing the existing asphalt parking lot. A bioswale with native plantings will be installed to replace the concrete and pipes and the parking lot will be replaced with a new pervious surface to help capture and filter stormwater runoff. This work is expected to take place in mid-August and will require closing the tennis courts and the parking lot temporarily. During that time, parking will only be available in the small surface lot across the street from the Sears Recreation Center.

Weather permitting, the project should be substantially complete by December. Installation of a new miniature golf course is also planned to begin in February 2019.

Status

The project will begin Monday, July 9, and be completed by December 2018.